Menopause The Musical: A Hilarious Parody of "the Silent Change"

Women would be advised to being water-proof mascara. By all accounts, Menopause The Musical is that funny, and it’s playing at the Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre starting March 27, 2013.

This is one of those theatrical productions whose worldwide popularity arose by word of mouth. It offers a light-hearted parody of the hormonal turning point that every woman must inevitably face. In a gentle-spirited way, it reminds female audience members they are not alone as they navigate the rough seas of middle age, and in doing so, fosters a sense of connectedness and sisterhood.

The stage is set in a department store, as four unrelated women fight over a black lingerie bra in a Bloomingdale’s department store in New York. Over the course of an entire day, the women complain and share experiences about “the silent change” in this 90-minute production.

Musical performances are based on classic ’60s, ’70s and ’80s tunes that generally appeal to baby-boomers approaching the age of menopause. Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” for example, becomes “Change of Life,” while “My Guy” is becomes “My Thighs.” Other remakes include the Bee Gee’s “Staying Alive,” transformed into “Staying Awake,” and “Night Fever” into “Night Sweating.”

Written by Jeanie Linders, Menopause The Musical premiered in 2001 in Orlando, Florida. The original cast included Shelly Browne, Patti McGuire, Pammie O’Bannon Wesley Williams as the Soap Star. Some 11 million theatre goers have attended the performance in over 15 countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and South Korea.

Choreography is provided by Patty Bender, a working mother of two whose career began at Walt Disney World. She has contributed to projects from theatre to television to film. Daria Lynne Melendez, who has worked closely with Maurice and Gregory Hines, is Choreography Supervisor.

Seth Greenleaf, a graduate of UCLA’s school of Theatre Film and Television, is the show’s supervising director. He has been in the thick of New York’s theatre scene from a young age, whether as an usher, actor or director.